Bioengineering/Biomedical Engineering Education and Career Development: Literature Review, Definitionsi and Constructive Recommendations.

Bioengineering/Biomedical engineering education has evolved since the late 1950s and is progressing in leading academic institutions around the world. Today, bioengineering/biomedical engineering is considered to be one of the most reputable fields within the global arena, and will probably be the primer for any future breakthroughs in medicine and biology. This paper is intended to provide a detailed study of career development in Bioengineering/Biomedical Engineering, together with a set of strategies and recommendations to be pursued by individuals and/or entities seeking to plan and design careers and/or curricula in this field. The paper aims to address the international student who is considering bioengineering/biomedical engineering as a career, with an underlying emphasis on students from developing and transitional countries where career guidance is lacking. The paper is also addressed to academic institutions of higher education, ministries of higher education, and other governmental agencies, mainly within such countries, who intend to launch or reform their bioengineering/biomedical engineering curricula. A comprehensive undergraduate curriculum that has been recently implemented at the American University of Science and Technology, Beirut, Lebanon, is presented here as a prototype of a modern well-developed curriculum in Biomedical Engineering. This program is considered to be one of the regional premier curricula in Bioengineering/Biomedical Engineering. The paper also provides a thorough review of the literature followed by a comprehensive definition of the field and its subdivisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]